Cars and Fuel Efficiency: Are We Winning the War or Simply Spinning Our Wheels?

For a while in the middle of the last decade, both carmakers and consumers focused closely on fossil fuel replacement -- solar, electric and hybrid technology attracted a great deal of interest. It wasn't primarily concern for the environment behind the move. Fuel prices were at historic highs, and consumers wanted to spend less at the pump. While those attempts were very successful and the push towards clean, alternative energy found a boost, circumstances have changed today.

Fuel prices have cratered, and it no longer makes much financial sense for consumers to pay for fancy, fuel saving technologies. Conventional petrol-fired engines have come back to rule again.

Nevertheless, there is new urgency when it comes to improving fuel efficiency. Environmental protection laws have raised the bar for automobile emissions to the point that manufacturers are having to fight hard to come by the improvements necessary. VW's public and spectacular "clean diesel" scandal is a reminder of how difficult these improvements are to achieve.

Yet, manufacturers have undeniably produced the improvements called for. Every major manufacturer now markets a set of proprietary refinement technologies for vehicle design, internal combustion engines and transmissions. They are taking over the market.

For the consumer in the market for a new car, these technological improvements are important to consider. They offer measurable gains in both performance and fuel efficiency. For the consumer driving existing car, excellent fuel efficiency is still possible with regular manufacturer recommended maintenance at the hands of a competent mechanic (look at whocanfixmycar.com)

Mazda's SkyActiv

SkyActiv is a set of technologies that includes the aerodynamic vehicle design approach evident on the Mazda6, the use of lightweight high-tensile steel, and more efficient engines and transmissions. Mazda's aim with SkyActiv is to create conventional cars that rival the hybrids for fuel efficiency. With a 28.1 mpg mileage rating on some of its vehicles, it has been the most successful of any manufacturer.

Ford's EcoBoost

EcoBoost is Ford's fuel efficiency package that includes a number of conventional technologies such as direct fuel injection and turbocharging. Direct injection is an efficient form of fuel delivery in the cylinder, and turbocharging helps boost efficiency and power through the delivery of pressurized air in the combustion chamber. EcoBoost engines offer a 15% improvement in vehicular emissions that are offered on practically the entire range of the company's products.

BMW's EfficientDynamics

The EfficientDynamics thrust at BMW began more than a decade ago. It involves the use of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (a proprietary material) and alloys in vehicle frame construction, and aerodynamic features such as the company's air curtain technology.

The company's VANOS and Valvetronic technologies use twin turbos for high-precision fuel injection. BMW models with EfficientDynamics technology come with the ED badge.

There is rapid progress being made

Fancy proprietary technology packages apart, fuel efficiency ideas are permeating every brand and model on sale today. Automatic start-stop technology is widely available in European cars today. It isn't simply about turning the car off and on when idling is sensed; drivers usually want to be off to a flying start as soon as the light turns green. It takes a complex set of technologies to get a car moving in an instant even if it's been turned off. Ford is a leader in the technology.

Manufacturers also experiment with different kinds of injection. With names such as HCCI, MSCI and RCCI among others, they attempt different kinds of fuel introduction to achieve more thorough burn rates. Manufacturers have been notching up steady gains, if not revolutionary gains. Some studies indicate that in a decade, cars will easily offer 55 mpg. It's a phenomenal step in the right direction.

Lewis Harrison works at a car repair centre, and has always worked with cars since leaving school. He enjoys reading car magazines and writing his own articles which appear on men's lifestyle and other sites.